Jersey City husband attacks wife's grinning killer at the sentencing

The husband of a murdered Jersey City woman was charged with contempt yesterday after lunging at his wife’s killer, who was grinning as the widower told of the pain wrought by the crime.

At the sentencing, Martey Willams, 43, was facing up to 40 years in prison for the felony murder of Jacqueline Reyes, 27, and the attempted murder of her then-9-month-old son, Ivan Reyes Jr., on Dec. 8, 2009, in Paulus Hook Towers on Montgomery Street.

Williams was grinning soon after being brought into the court of Hudson County Superior Court Kevin Callahan.

Ivan Reyes Sr. was holding his son, now 2, as he told of his loss and the months of hospitalization required to save the boy’s life. He cried as he opened the boy’s shirt to show the judge scars from stab wounds inflicted by Williams.

Then Reyes caught a glimpse of Williams grinning at the defense table.

Reyes threw a box of tissues at Williams and lunged at him before being wrestled away by sheriff’s officers as the courtroom erupted.

Family and friends of the victims in the crowded courtroom screamed and many tried to get at Williams, who was led away. It took several minutes to quell the outburst.

Callahan charged Reyes with contempt and he was taken away in handcuffs after Callahan scolded him for endangering his son, who was in the middle of the scuffle.

Reyes faced up to six months in jail on the charge, but at a hearing later in the day, Callahan sentenced him to time served and released him. At that hearing, Reyes apologized for his actions.

Williams has admitted that on the day of the killing, he entered the family’s apartment after Reyes went to work and robbed Jacqueline Reyes, leaving her dead with a dozen stab wounds.

The mother was trying to protect her son in her arms, and Williams said he stabbed the child too, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Tracey McQuaide said, adding that the baby suffered six wounds in his chest and abdomen.

Williams has been remanded to Hudson County jail in Kearny and his sentencing is rescheduled for Tuesday. The judge said Reyes cannot attend.

After being reunited with his son yesterday afternoon, Reyes said seeing Williams smiling at him “felt terrible. He is an absolute monster.”

Of finding himself in handcuffs yesterday, Reyes said: “It was the first time in my life I’ve ever been arrested. It felt terrible to be separated from my child.”